Image forming apparatus and initialization method of initializing consumable memory included in consumable attached to main casing of image forming apparatus

This is a by-pass continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/004922 filed on Feb. 14, 2023 claiming priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-029621 filed on Feb. 28, 2022. The entire contents of the International Application and the priority application are incorporated herein by reference.

Consumables such as toner cartridges, drum cartridges, and ink cartridges, for example, are attached to image forming apparatuses. Each consumable includes a consumable memory. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H10-202900 discloses an ink cartridge in which a reset button for resetting contents of a memory mounted in the ink cartridge is provided. A user manually operates the reset button to reset the contents of the memory.

Requiring the user to manually operate the reset button to reset the contents of the memory of the ink cartridge is one problem with the technology disclosed in the document described above, because the user cannot immediately begin to use the ink cartridge. It is an object of the present disclosure to enable the user to immediately begin to use a consumable after a controller initializes consumable memory information stored in a consumable memory of the consumable.

In order to attain the above and other objects, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides an image forming apparatus including: a consumable; a main casing; a cover; and a controller. The consumable includes a consumable memory. The consumable is attached to the main casing. The main casing has an opening through which the consumable is attachable. The cover is configured to open and close the opening. The controller is configured to perform: a reception process; a determination process; an initialization process; and a reading process. The reception process receives an instruction to initialize consumable memory information stored in the consumable memory. The determination process determines at least whether the cover is in an open state in accordance with the received instruction. When determining at least that the cover is in the open state, the controller performs the initialization process. The initialization process initializes the consumable memory information. The reading process reads the consumable memory information from the consumable memory while the cover is in a closed state.

According to the image forming apparatus of the above aspect, the controller initializes the consumable memory information in a state where the cover is in an open state. Consequently, the cover is in the open state after the controller initializes the consumable memory information. Therefore, the controller can perform the reading process to read the consumable memory information from the consumable memory in a state where the cover is in a closed state. Hence, the user can begin to use the consumable immediately after the controller has initialized the consumable memory information.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure also provides an initialization method of initializing a consumable memory included in a consumable attached to a main casing of an image forming apparatus. The initialization method includes: a reception step; a determination step; an initialization step; and a reading step. In the reception step, the image forming apparatus receives an instruction to initialize consumable memory information stored in the consumable memory. In the determination step, the image forming apparatus determines at least whether a cover is in an open state in accordance with the received instruction. The main casing has an opening through which the consumable is attachable. The cover is configured to open and close the opening. When the image forming apparatus determines at least that the cover is in the open state, the initialization step is performed. In the initialization step, the image forming apparatus initializes the consumable memory information. In the reading step, the image forming apparatus reads the consumable memory information from the consumable memory while the cover is in a closed state.

The initialization method of the above aspect exhibits effects the same as the image forming apparatus described above.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described while referring to the accompanying drawings. The present embodiment will describe a case in which the image forming apparatus is a laser printer and the image formation is printing, as one example. However, the image forming apparatus may be a printer other than a laser printer. For example, the image forming apparatusmay be an inkjet printer.

<Overview of Structure of Image Forming Apparatus>

is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus.is a diagram illustrating the internal structures of the image forming apparatus, including drum cartridgesand toner cartridges. As illustrated in, the image forming apparatusincludes a main casing, a cover, a cover sensor, drum cartridges, and toner cartridges. The image forming apparatusalso includes a controller, a main memory, a display, an operation unit, and a transfer belt.

The image forming apparatusmay include a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display or lamps, and an input unit, such as buttons. The liquid crystal display may also be integrally configured with a touchscreen to function as an input unit.

(Main Casing)

The toner cartridgesare attached to the main casing. As will be described later in detail, each toner cartridgebecomes integrated with a drum cartridgeby being attached to the drum cartridge. In other words, while attached to the drum cartridge, the toner cartridgeis attached together with the drum cartridgeto the main casing, thereby achieving an image forming apparatusthat includes the drum cartridgesand the toner cartridges.

Note that, in the image forming apparatusaccording to the present embodiment, four toner cartridgesneed to be attached in order to perform printing. In other words, the image forming apparatusaccording to the present embodiment is configured to allow four drum cartridgesand four toner cartridgesto be attached thereto. However, the numbers of drum cartridgesand toner cartridgesattached to the image forming apparatusare not limited to the example of. For example, the image forming apparatusmay be a monochrome printer that allows the attachment of a single drum cartridgeand a single toner cartridge.

Each toner cartridgeincludes toner that is consumed when the image forming apparatusperforms printing. That is, the toner cartridgeis an example of a consumable for the image forming apparatus. Further, each drum cartridgeincludes a photosensitive drumthat is used when the image forming apparatusperforms printing. The drum cartridgeis also an example of the consumable for the image forming apparatus.

The main casinghas an openingA through which the toner cartridgesand drum cartridgesare attachable. The main casinghas a rectangular box shape, for example. The main casingaccommodates therein the four drum cartridges, the four toner cartridges, the controller, the main memory, the display, the operation unit, and the transfer belt.

Note that the display surface of the displaymay also be provided at the outer surface of the main casingso that the user can visually recognize displayed information. Furthermore, in a case where the operation unitcomprises hardware buttons, the pressing surfaces of the operation unitmay also be provided at the outer surface of the main casingso as to be operable by the user.

The main casinghas four cartridge holding units. Each cartridge holding unitsis formed as a recess and has an opening. The drum cartridgesand the toner cartridgesare attached to the main casingby being held in corresponding cartridge holding units.

(Cover)

A light source unitis provided corresponding to each drum cartridgeat the cover. The coveris pivotally movable about a pivot shaftA extending in a first direction between an open position depicted with solid lines inin which the coveropens the openingA and a closed position depicted with two-dot chain lines inin which the covercloses the openingA. The openingA provided at an upper end of the main casingis opened and closed in accordance with pivotal movement of the cover. By rotating, the covercan open and close the openingA formed in the top end of the main casing.

Note that the “first direction” denotes a direction in which the rotation center axis of a developing rollerin a toner cartridgeextends. The openings of the cartridge holding unitsare exposed when the coveris positioned at the open position and are covered by the coverwhen the coveris positioned at the closed position.

The cover sensorthat detects opening and closing of the coveris provided at the openingA of the main casing. The cover sensoris a contact-type sensor or an optical-type sensor, for example. The cover sensoroutputs a sensor signal to the controllerwhen the coveris in the closed state. Note that the cover sensormay instead output a sensor signal to the controllerwhen the coveris in the open state.

(Toner Cartridges)

Each toner cartridgeincludes a developing roller, and a cartridge casing that can accommodate therein developer as an example of the printing material. The cartridge casing is attachable to the main casing. The four toner cartridgesaccommodate therein developer of colors different from one another (for example, colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (BK)) as the material used for performing image formation.

The developer is a material that is consumed during use. The developing rolleris a hollow cylindrical member that extends in the first direction and is rotatable about its developing axis extending in the first direction. When the toner cartridgeis attached to the drum cartridge, the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drumcontacts the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller.

Each toner cartridgealso includes a toner memoryas an example of the consumable memory. The toner memoryis positioned at the outer surface of the toner cartridgeon one side of the toner cartridgein the first direction. The toner memoryis a memory from which information is readable and to which information is writable. For example, the toner memoryis a flash read-only memory (flash ROM) or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM; registered trademark). “EEPROM” is a Japanese registered trademark of Renesas Electronics Corporation.

As illustrated in, the toner memorystores therein toner cartridge information, which is information related to the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge informationis an example of the consumable memory information. The data structure of the toner cartridge informationwill be described later with reference to.

(Drum Cartridges)

Each drum cartridgeincludes a cartridge casing that is attachable to the main casing. The cartridge casing includes a photosensitive drumas a component that is used for performing image formation. The photosensitive drumis a replacement component that needs to be replaced since deterioration such as wear of the surface occurs during use. The photosensitive drumis a hollow cylindrical photosensitive member extending in the first direction. The photosensitive drumis rotatable about its drum axis extending in the first direction. The outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drumis coated with a photosensitive material.

Each drum cartridgealso includes a drum memory, which is an example of the consumable memory. The drum memoryis a memory from which information is readable and to which information is writable. For example, the drum memoryis a flash ROM or an EEPROM (registered trademark). The drum memorystores therein drum cartridge information, which is information related to the drum cartridge. The drum cartridge informationis an example of the consumable memory information. The data structure of the drum cartridge informationwill be described later with reference to.

<Cartridge Attachment and Printing Mechanism>

As illustrated in, the drum cartridgesand the toner cartridgesare attached to the main casingin a state where the coveris positioned at the open position. In a state where the coveris positioned at the open position, the drum cartridgesand the toner cartridgesare inserted through the openingA into the corresponding cartridge holding units.

The four light source unitsare mounted on the inner surface of the cover. Each light source unitis arranged so as to face the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drumin a state where the drum cartridgeis attached to the main casingand the coveris at the closed position. Each light source unithas a plurality of light sources arranged in the first direction. Each light source can emit light to the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum. Each light source is a light-emitting diode (LED), for example.

Each light source unitis electrically connected to the controller. The controllercontrols the light sources of each light source unitto emit light in accordance with inputted image data. Each light source emits light toward the outer circumferential surfaces of the corresponding photosensitive drum. As a result, the photosensitive material on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drumis exposed by the light source unitin accordance with the image data.

The transfer beltis a component that transfers developer carried on the surface of each photosensitive drum onto printing paper. The transfer beltis a replacement component that needs to be replaced since deterioration such as wear of the surface occurs during use. The transfer beltis a belt having an annular shape that can contact each photosensitive drum. The outer circumferential surface of each photosensitive drumcan contact the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt. During a printing process, the image forming apparatusconveys printing paper between the transfer beltand each photosensitive drum.

The transfer beltis stretched around a drive rollerand a follow roller. The drive rollerdrives the transfer belt. The controllercauses the drive rollerto rotate. The follow rollerrotates following movement of the transfer beltin accordance with drive of the drive roller.

<Internal Structure of Main Casing>

The controllerincludes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), for example. The controlleris electrically connected to the main memory, the display, and the operation unitprovided in the main casing. The controllerexecutes various operations to cause the image forming apparatusto perform various processes related to printing.

The controllermay include a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU). When the controllerincludes a processor, the main memorystores therein a control program for implementing a method of controlling the image forming apparatus. With the processor performing operations according to the control program, the controllermay cause the image forming apparatusto perform various processes.

The controllermay also include a computer-readable storage medium, such as the main memory, that stores therein the control program. The controllercan use any “non-transitory tangible medium” as the storage medium such as a ROM, as well as a tape, a disc, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The controllermay also use a random-access memory (RAM) or the like as a storage medium for developing the control program.

The control program may also be supplied to a computer via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the control program, such as a communication network, broadcast waves, and the like. Note that, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the control program can be implemented in the form of data signals embedded in a carrier wave embodied in electronic transmission.

As illustrated in, the image forming apparatusincludes connectorsand connectors. In a state where a drum cartridgeis inserted into a corresponding cartridge holding unitillustrated in, the corresponding connectoris electrically connected to the drum memoryof the drum cartridge, enabling the controllerto communicate with the drum memory. In other words, the controllercan execute a reading process to read information from the drum memory, and a writing process to write information to the drum memory.

In a state where a toner cartridgeis attached to the main casing, the corresponding connectoris electrically connected to the toner memoryof the toner cartridge, enabling the controllerto communicate with the toner memory. In other words, the controllercan execute a reading process to read information from the toner memory, and a writing process to write information to the toner memory.

The main memoryis a memory from which information is readable and to which information is writable. For example, the main memoryis a flash ROM or an EEPROM (registered trademark). The main memoryhas one or more storage areas. In one example, each of the storage areas stores therein cartridge information.

The cartridge informationis information related to the cartridges attached to the image forming apparatus. Specifically, the cartridge informationincludes the toner cartridge informationread from the toner memoriesof the toner cartridgesof respective colors in such a manner that the toner cartridge informationcan be identified for each toner cartridge.

The cartridge informationalso includes the drum cartridge informationread from the drum memoriesof the drum cartridgesin such a manner that the drum cartridge informationcan be identified for each drum cartridge. The data structures of the toner cartridge informationand the drum cartridge informationstored in the main memoryas the cartridge informationwill be described later in greater detail with reference to.

In the following description, “recycling a cartridge” indicates that the cartridge is restored to a state suitable for use in printing by replacing or replenishing only those components of the cartridge that need to be replaced among the constituent elements of the cartridge. In other words, recycling a cartridge includes not only replenishing a consumed material, but also replacing a deteriorated component with a new one. Hereinafter, cartridges that have been recycled by replenishing materials or replacing components will be referred to as recycled cartridges.

<Data Structures of Cartridge Information>

(Toner Cartridge Information)

is a diagram illustrating one example of the data structure of the toner cartridge informationstored in the toner memory. As one example, the toner cartridge informationincludes a toner ID, capacity information, cumulative capacity information, specification information, type information, and a printed sheet number. As one example, the toner cartridge informationalso includes a developing roller rotation number, a remaining toner quantity, a recycle number, genuine product information, status information, and supplier information.